The PS4 version of Madden looks better than any other Madden game made so far. The power of the next-gen renders both players and coaches in unsettlingly real detail. The might of the next-gen, however, wouldn’t make up for lackluster gameplay. Luckily, the gameplay here isn’t lackluster. Although the PS4 version of Madden 25 plays nearly identical to the PS3 version, the great execution of an old plan makes it the most satisfying Madden game yet.

This year’s new additions impress on the PS4. Additions such as automatic cuts, the avoidance actions for the running back, and precision moves always feel fluid when done. In other Madden’s, performing a move such as a spin or a stiff arm on a defender results in both parties tumbling to the ground in an unnatural way. Nothing about the gameplay of this Madden is unnatural, and every move and cut seamlessly integrates itself into the play.

The options, like the gameplay, also receive some updates to help remove clunky bits. The in-game options, in particular, now have the same flare as the main-menu options. These new options highlight the sections of the menu with immediate impact on your game. In fact, the now easily accessible Super Sim has become one of my go-to functions. This nifty extra allows players to simulate through plays, quarters, and possessions. The Super Sim is available in the PS3 version as well, but it’s hidden inside other menu options, making it awkward to use.

EA touched up a lot of other minor details. The cameramen on the sidelines finally get to shine as something other than weird-looking splotches. The crowds, too, contain unusual detail. Actual people make up the cheering masses instead of a conglomeration of multicolored cardboard cutouts. And these cheering masses now cheer at appropriate times. Approaching the first-down marker on third and long sends them into an uproar, an uproar that only gets louder if you actually achieve that new set of downs.

The details on players and coaches add to the texture of the game. After a dropped ball, for instance, the camera sometimes cuts to the receiver’s face, where you can see his quiet anger and disappointment. The same thing happens to coaches. After a botched play or a terrible call, the game sometimes cuts to a coach waving his arm around in fury, his face showing rage. Also, each major player looks as if he received some attempt at making him resemble his real-life counterpart. In the previous generation of Madden, you were just as likely to see a representation of your favorite player as you were a generic player.

Not all improvements made to the game are superficial. The next-gen boost to the AI turns an easily exploitable defense into an impenetrable wall. The secondary guys benefit from this upgrade the most. In previous Maddens, the passing game could be approached like a standard boss battle, where winning consisted of finding the opponent’s weakness and exploiting it as much as possible to ensure victory. From what I’ve seen, no easy weaknesses exist in the secondary to be exploited.

Patching up weaknesses, however, is just the tip of the adjustments made to the opposing AI. Defenses are now much more unforgiving. Throwing passes into double coverage no longer results in the ball bouncing harmlessly off of the defender’s stiff hands. Interceptions are just as likely to occur as receptions. And thanks to the AI’s quicker reaction time, what appears like an open man could just be bait, as defenders will zero in on what looks to be a sure thing and turn your touchdown into a turnover.

The offence receives some improvements along with the defense. Linemen no longer become obstacles in your path during a running play. They move and shift in accordance with the action. More often than not, the linemen become assets in down-the-field runs, as relying on them to block incoming defenders is much more efficient than relying on fancy footwork.